CREATIVE WRITING

Subject abbreviation: CRWT  

Christopher Buckley, M.F.A., Chair

Department Office, 2116 Watkins

Professors:

Christopher Buckley, M.F.A.

Percival L. Everett, A.M.

Maurya Simon, M.F.A.

Professors Emeriti:

Eliud Martínez, Ph.D.

Stephen Minot, M.A.

Associate Professor:

Susan Straight, M.F.A.

**

Lecturers:

Judy Z. Kronenfeld, Ph.D.

Frances McConnel, Ph.D.

MAJOR  

The Creative Writing major offers a series of workshop courses in poetry, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and nonfiction as well as reading courses in poetry and fiction presented from a writer's point of view. They are taught for the most part by poets, fiction writers, and playwrights.

The major consists of 12 units of lower-division courses, 60 units of upper-division courses, and 24 units of concentration in a subject of student choice approved by the Creative Writing Chair or advisor.

The writing courses are taught as workshops, so that the subject matter (the students' stories, poems, and plays) is different each time the course is offered.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS  

UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENTS

General University requirements are Universitywide requirements which all undergraduates must satisfy. See the Undergraduate Studies section for a complete listing.

COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

Students must fulfill all breadth requirements of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. For a detailed list of requirements and a summary of units, see Degree Requirements under College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the Undergraduate Studies section of this catalog.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

The major requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing are as follows:

Prerequisites courses: CRWT 056 or equivalent, and ENGL 001A or equivalent.

1. Lower-division requirements (12 units)
Three (3) lower-division literature surveys:

ENGL 014--Major American Writers
ENGL 015--Modern Literature
ENGL 023A-ENGL 023B-ENGL 023C--English Literary Traditions
ENGL 031--American Literary Traditions
ENGL 032--Twentieth-Century Literature
WRLT 017A-WRLT 017B-WRLT 017C--Masterworks of Western Literature, or course approved by instructor

2. Upper-division requirements (60 units)

• a) Three (3) workshop courses in genre of interest
• Poetry:
• CRWT 150--Beginning Poetry Workshop
  CRWT 160--Intermediate Poetry Workshop
  CRWT 170--Advanced Poetry Workshop
• or
• Fiction:
• CRWT 152--Beginning Fiction Workshop
  CRWT 162--Intermediate Fiction Workshop
  CRWT 172--Advanced Fiction Workshop
  
• b) One (1) workshop in second genre: CRWT 150, CRWT 152, CRWT 160, CRWT 162, CRWT 164A, CRWT 164B, or CRWT 166
• c) Three (3) upper-division courses in Creative Writing:
  CRWT 171--Anatomy of Poetry
  CRWT 187--Metafiction
  CRWT 176 (E-Z)--Special Topics
• d) One (1) upper-division course in Art, Art History, Music, Dance, or Theatre
• e) Four (4) units of CRWT 195H Senior Thesis, or approved course
• f) Six (6) upper-division courses of concentration in another discipline or set of disciplines approved by advisor.

MINOR

Lower-division requirements (8 units)

1. One (1) introductory writing workshop: CRWT 056

2. One (1) introductory reading course: CRWT 040, CRWT 041, CRWT 042, or CRWT 043

Upper-division requirements (20 units)

1. Four (4) units from

• a) CRWT 176 (E-Z)
• b) Any upper-division course in English, Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, or Theatre (except ENGL 101, ENGL 103; FREN 100, FREN 101A-FREN 101B-FREN 101C, FREN 104; GER 102, GER 103A-GER 103B; RUSN 103; SPN 101A-SPN 101B-SPN 101C, SPN 105, SPN 106A-SPN 106B, SPN 108)

2. Sixteen (16) units in one of the following emphases:

• a) Poetry Emphasis
  • (1) CRWT 150, CRWT 160, CRWT 170
  • (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 162, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A, CRWT 171, CRWT 187

• b) Fiction Emphasis
  • (1) CRWT 152, CRWT 162, CRWT 172
  • (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 160, CRWT 164A, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A, CRWT 187

• c) Drama Emphasis
  • (1) CRWT 164A, CRWT 164B, CRWT 164C
  • (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 160, CRWT 162, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A, CRWT 166B, CRWT 166C, CRWT 187, THEA 163 (E-Z)

UCR also offers a minor in Journalism. Requirements are listed under Journalism in this catalog. Note: Students should check with the Creative Writing Department on the current status of the Journalism Minor.

See Minors under the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the Undergraduate Studies section of this catalog for additional information on minors.

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES  

CRWT 040.
Fiction and Film. (4)

Lecture, three hours; practice writing, three hours. Prerequisite(s): none. A study of twentieth-century international fiction and film from a writer's point of view, emphasizing relationships and literary techniques found in both. This course explores what is required to move from the novelistic to the cinematic.

CRWT 041.
Poetry and Fiction: A Reading Course for Writers. (4)

Lecture, three hours; creative imitation practice, three hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Active, analytical reading of contemporary poetry and fiction in order to broaden and deepen students' understanding of the craft of writing. Students will analyze and practice poetic and fictional techniques.

CRWT 042.
Poetry and Drama: A Reading Course for Writers. (4)

Seminar, three hours; extra reading, three hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Examines poetic and dramatic techniques in both poetry and drama, including narrative verse, verse novels, and verse drama. Students compose imitations and may also write analytical essays based on the models studied.

CRWT 043.
Creative Writing and Ancestry. (4)

Lecture, three hours; outside writing, three hours. Prerequisite(s): none. A study of creative writing that explores personal experience and ancestry. Genres studied may include nonfiction, autobiography, fiction, and visual media. Students are required to write in one or more of these genres.

CRWT 056.
Introduction to Creative Writing. (4)

Practice writing, three hours; workshop, three hours. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 001A. Introduction to the writing of imaginative literature, with primary emphasis on the short story and poetry. Enrollment limited.

CRWT 097H.
Freshman Honors Project: Poetry. (4)

Seminar, three hours; individual study, one hour; extra reading, one hour; creative projects, two hours. Prerequisite(s): admission to the University Honors Program or consent of instructor. A course in poetry writing involving the reading of poetry and comments of poets and critics on poetry in "modern" and "contemporary" modes. Designed to foster students' exploration of the diversity of poetic styles in an age with no dominant "school," and their awareness of the aesthetic, cultural, and personal resonances of conscious and unconscious artistic choices. Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC) grading is not available.

CRWT 150.
Beginning Poetry Workshop. (4)

Workshop, three hours; outside research, three hours. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 056 or consent of instructor. Students write poetry which is analyzed by the class. Substantial original work and outside reading are required.

CRWT 152.
Beginning Fiction Workshop. (4)

Workshop, three hours; outside research, three hours. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 056 or consent of instructor. Students discuss and analyze outside texts and original work from the class. Substantial original work is required.

CRWT 160.
Intermediate Poetry Workshop. (4)

Workshop, three hours; outside research, three hours. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 056, CRWT 150; or consent of instructor. Students produce and bring to class for analysis and commentary, a large quantity of original work in poetry. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 8 units.

CRWT 162.
Intermediate Fiction Workshop. (4)

Workshop, three hours; outside research, three hours. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 056, CRWT 152; or consent of instructor. Class work consists of intensive analysis of students' work. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 8 units.

CRWT 164A.
Beginning Playwriting. (4)

Seminar, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): THEA 100 or CRWT 056 or consent of instructor. Seminar in the practice of playwriting centering on the construction of a plot. Cross-listed with THEA 164A. Morton.

CRWT 164B.
Intermediate Playwriting. (4)

Seminar, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 164A/THEA 164A. Seminar in the practice of playwriting. Revisions of works in progress with emphasis on character development and techniques for writing dialogue. Cross-listed with THEA 164B. Morton.

CRWT 164C.
Advanced Playwriting. (4)

Seminar, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 164B/THEA 164B. Seminar in the practice of playwriting. Playwrights' participation in staged readings of their work. With consent of instructor, course is repeatable to a maximum of 8 units. Cross-listed with THEA 164C. Morton.

CRWT 165.
Fundamentals and Concepts of Journalism. (4)

Lecture, three hours; consultation, one hour. Introduction to the journalistic writing process, including history, role in modern society, function and form, editing principles, ethics and legalities. Writing assignments will provide experience in interviewing, story construction and organization, format options and variations in style.

CRWT 166A-CRWT 166B-CRWT 166C.
Screenwriting. (4-4-4)

Lecture, two hours; discussion, two hours. Prerequisite(s): for CRWT 166A/FVC 166A/THEA 166A: CRWT 056 or consent of instructor; for CRWT 166B/FVC 166B/THEA 166B: CRWT 166A/FVC 166A/THEA 166A or consent of instructor; for CRWT 166C/FVC 166C/THEA 166C: CRWT 166B/FVC 166B/THEA 166B or consent of instructor. The fundamentals of screenwriting including story development, plotting, and characterization as they are used in creating a complete script for television or feature film. 166A: Introduction. 166B: From outline to first draft. 166C: Rewrites and writing for television formats. CRWT 166C/FVC 166C/THEA 166C is repeatable. Cross-listed with FVC 166A-FVC 166B-FVC 166C and THEA 166A-THEA 166B-THEA 166C.

CRWT 170.
Advanced Poetry Workshop. (4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion/consultation, one hour. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 160 or consent of instructor. A class in poetry writing for students who have mastered the fundamental and intermediate skills and wish to attempt, with the help of workshop criticism, to fashion a significant long poem or group of poems. May be repeated for credit.

CRWT 171.
Anatomy of Poetry. (4)

Lecture, three hours; creative writing, three hours. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 160 or consent of instructor. An introductory study of poetics, including traditional and contemporary forms. Students write in the various poetic forms studied.

CRWT 172.
Advanced Fiction Workshop. (4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion/consultation, one hour. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 162 or consent of instructor. A class in fiction writing for students who have mastered the fundamental and intermediate skills and wish to attempt, with the help of workshop criticism, to fashion a collection of stories or a novel. May be repeated for credit.

CRWT 175.
Advanced Writing for Journalists. (4)

Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Prerequisite(s): CRWT 165 or consent of instructor. An examination of the techniques and styles representative of modern feature journalism. Writing assignments incorporate advanced reporting skills.

CRWT 176 (E-Z).
The Craft of Writing. (4)

Lecture, three hours; extra reading, one hour; practice writing, two to three hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. The formal study and practice of the craft of writing, its technical aspects and development through the contemporary period in the genres of poetry, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and journalism.

CRWT 187.
Metafiction. (4)

Lecture, three hours; creative writing or term paper, three hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Postmodernism, metafiction, and the new novel in Europe and America. Creative writers submit fiction in lieu of a term paper. Cross-listed with WRLT 187.

CRWT 190.
Special Studies. (1-5)

To be taken with the consent of the Chair of the program as a means of meeting special curricular problems.

CRWT 191.
Seminar in Creative Writing. (4)

Seminar, three hours; extra reading, three hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor; upper-division standing. Intensive study of the works of visiting writers and poets. Students prepare individual papers for discussion. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 8 units. Minot.

CRWT 195H.
Senior Honors Thesis. (4)

Consultation, one hour; outside research, four hours; extra reading, three hours; thesis, four hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of Department Chair. The student works independently with a faculty member to prepare a project. For the Creative Writing major, the project may be a group of poems, a long poem, a group of short stories, a novel, or a part of a novel. For the Journalism minor, the project may be a news feature, an investigative article, or a similar story requiring significant endeavor in reporting and writing and demonstrating an understanding of sound journalistic technique.

CRWT 198-I.
Individual Internship. (1-12)

Field, two hours per unit. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor and upper-division standing. Work with an appropriate professional individual or organization to gain experience and skills in any form of writing which meets with the approval of the Creative Writing Committee (e.g., journalism, radio journalism). Repeatable to 16 units. Letter grading or Satisfactory (S) or No Credit (NC).